Piston-lift.



D. F. DENHAM.

PISTON LIFT.

APPLICATION FILED OOT. 5 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E Inventor Attorneys D. F: DENHAM.

PISTON LIFT. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 5, 71911. 1 Q19,4 33 Patented Mar. 5, 1912. v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

DAN F. DENHAM, OF LAUREL, MISSISSIPPI.

PISTON-LIFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 5, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Serial No. 652,941.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, DAN F. DENI-IAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laurel, in the county of Jones and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Piston-Lift, of which the following is a specification.

It is common in the art to which this invention appertains, to provide a movable member adapted to support the intermediate portion of a carriage-actuating piston rod. The present invention aims to provide novel means whereby such a member may be actuated and controlled, a portion of such mechanism being located upon the carriage, and another, cooperating portion of such mechanism being movably mounted adjacent the track upon which the carriage operates.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the invention in top plan; Fig. 2 is a section upon the line AB of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section of the cylinder, upon the line C-D of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section upon the line E-F of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the floor of the mill, the numeral 2 indicates parallel bed timbers, supporting stringers 3, the stringers 3 upholding the rails 4 of the track upon which the saw mill carriage moves.

The saw mill carriage is denoted generally by the numeral 5, and is equipped with transverse axles 6 and 7 the axle 7 being prolonged at one end, beyond the carriage 5, as indicated at 8. p This portion 8 of the axle 7 carries a wheel 9, having functions which will be set forth hereinafter. The axle 6 carries wheels 10, and the axle 7 carries wheels 11, the wheels 10 and 11 being adapted to move upon the rails 4 of the track. At this point it may be stated that the carriage 5 may be of any desired length, any number of axles 6 and 7 being provided, the mechanism hereinafter described, being multiplied to any desired extent.

Supported below the carriage 5 and extended longitudinally of the rails 4, between the rails 4, is a fluid pressure cylinder 12, in which operates a piston rod 14, the piston rod 14 operating after the manner of a steam engine, as is clearly understood in the art. The forward end of the piston rod 14 is secured to a bracket 15, attached to the bottom of the carriage 5, or to any other accessible portion thereof. The piston rod 14 passes outwardly through a gland 16 attached to the head of the cylinder 12.

The invention further includes an auxiliary track 17, preferably located beyond one of the rails 4. The auxiliary track 17 is upwardly convexed, and is yieldably supported, for movement in the direction of its length, by means of links 18, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected with the auxiliary track 17, the lower ends of which are pivotally connected with the floor 1, or with any other rigid portion of the substructure.

Hangers 19 depend from the bed timbers 2, and in the hangers 19 is journaled for rotation a shaft 20, there being an upstanding crank arm 21, rigidly secured to the shaft 20, the crank arm 21 being loosely united by means of a pin and slot connection 22 or the like, with one end of the auxiliary track 17. Secured rigidly to the shaft 20, and located at an angle to the arm 21, is an arm 23, carrying at its free end a weight 24, adjustably held upon the arm by means of a bolt 25 or the like, adapted to register successively in openings 26 in the arm 23. The intermediate portion of the arm 23 is loosely connected by means of a pin and slot union 2? or the like, with the lower end of a plunger 28, adapted to reciprocate vertically in a gland 29, formed at the lower end of a bonnet 30, preferably of funnel shape. The bonnet 30 opens into the lower portion of the cylinder 12. The bonnet 30 is secured to the cylinder 12 in any desired manner. The upper end of the plunger 28 carries an anti-friction element, adapted to engage the piston rod 14, the anti-friction element in the present instance being shown in the form of a wheel 31. Supported by the floor 1, or in any other suitable manner, is a stop member, preferably taking the form of a buffer 50, against which one end of the auxiliary track 17 is normally held by the weight 24.

The practical operation of the device hereinbefore disclosed, is as follows :W'hen the carriage 5 moves in the direction of the arrow X, under the actuation of the piston rod 14, the wheel 9 will ride upon the anx iliary track 17, the auxiliary track 17 tilting upon the links 18, and moving forwardly, in the direction of the arrow X. This movement ofthe auxiliary track 17 will tilt the bell crank comprising the arm 91, the shaft 20, and the arm 23, elevating the free end of the arm 23, together with the weight 24. The plunger 28 will be elevated, causing the wheel 31 to come into contact with the piston rod 14, with which the wheel 31 is alined. The piston rod l-l will therefore be supported by the wheel 31, when the piston rod 3 retreats into the cylinder 12. hen the wheel 9 rides off the auxiliary track 17, the weight 24 will tilt the bell crank mechanism 21, 20, 23, moving the auxiliary track 17 in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow X, unti one end of the track 17 comes into contact with the buffer 50. At the same time, the plunger 28 will be drawn downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, until the wheel 31 lies below the inner, working face of the cylinder 12. From the foregoing it will be seen that the wheel 31 will not interfere with the movement of the piston head in the cylinder. A

Considered generally, the device herein disclosed, is operable by a moving mill carriage, to support that portion of the piston rod which is within the cylinder, thereby obviating the sagging of the long piston rods which are necessary in devices of this type.

Having thus described the invention, what claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a track; a carriage adapted to move upon the track; a cylinder supported adjacent the track; a piston rod operating in the cylinder and connected with the carriage; a movably supported auxiliary track, located parallel to the first named track; a member movable in the cylinder at an angle to the rod and adapted to engage and to supportthe rod within the cylinder; a bell crank connecting said movable member with the auxiliary track; means for maintaining the rod-engaging portion of the movable member normally upon the outside of the working face ofthe cylinder; and means upon the carriage adapted to ride upon and to move the auxiliary track.

2. In a device of the class described, a track; a carriage; axles upon the carriage, one of said axles being prolonged; wheels upon the axles, adapted to engage the track; an auxiliary track movably supported along side of the first named track; a wheel upon the prolonged portion of said axle, adapted to engage the auxiliary track; a cylinder supported adjacent the track; a rod in the cylinder and connected to the carriage; a member movable in the cylinder and adapted to engage the rod, to support the same within the cylinder; and means for operatively connecting the movable member with the auxiliary track.

3. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure; a track thereon; a carriage adapted to move upon the track; an auxiliary track; links connecting the auxiliary track with the supporting structure; a buffer adapted to receive one end of the auxiliary track; a cylinder supported adjacent the first named track; a piston rod working in the cylinder, and operatively connected with the carriage; a member movable in the cylinder at an angle to the rod, and adapted to engage and to support the rod; mechanism operatively connecting the movable member with the auxiliary track; means upon the carriage to engage the auxiliary track, thereby to actuate the movable member into rod-engaging position; and means upon a portion of said mechanism, to retract the movable member outside the working face of the cylinder, and to move the auxiliary track into abutment with the buffer.

t. In a device of the class described, a track; a carriage adapted to move upon the track; a cylinder supported adjacent the track; a piston rod operating in the cylinder and connected with the carriage; a movably supported auxiliary track, located parallel to the first named track; a member movable in the cylinder at an angle to the rod and adapted to engage and to support the rod within the cylinder; a bell crank connecting said movable member with the auxiliary track; and means for maintaining the rodengaging portion of the movable member normally upon the outside of the working face of the cylinder.

5. In a device of the class described, a track; a carriage; axles upon the carriage; one of said axles being prolonged; wheels upon the axles, adapted to engage the track; an auxiliary track movably supported along side of the first named track; a wheel upon the prolonged portion of said axle, adapted to engage the auxiliary track; a cylinder supported adjacent the track; a rod in the cylinder and connected with the carriage; a member movable in the cylinder and adapted to engage the rod, to support the same within the cylinder; and means for operatively connecting the movable member with the auxiliary track.

6. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure; a track thereon; a carriage adapted to move upon the track; an auxiliary track; links connecting the auxiliary track with the supporting struc ture; abuffer adapted to receive one end of the auxiliary track; a cylinder supported adjacent the first named track; a piston rod Working in the cylinder, and operatively connected with the carriage; a member movable in the cylinder at an angle to the rod, and adapted to engage and to support the rod; bell crank mechanism operatively connecting the movable member with the auxiliary track; means upon the carriage to engage the auxiliary track, thereby to actuate the movable member into rod-engaging position; and means upon a portion of the bell crank mechanism, to retract the movable member outside the Working face of the cylinder, and to move the auxiliary track into abutment with bufier.

7. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure; a cylinder mounted thereon; a piston rod Working in the cylinder; a member movable in the cylinder at an angle to the rod, and adapted to engage and to support the rod; a shaft journaled for rotation upon the supporting structure; an auxiliary track movably connected with the supporting structure; arms upon the shaft, one of which arms is connected with the auxiliary track, the other of which arms is connected with the movable member; a carriage adapted to move upon the supporting structure; and means upon the carriage to engage the auxiliary track.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAN F. DENHAM.

Witnesses:

A. F. KELLY, O. C. RUTLEDGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. C. 

